Mother of the Future, Who me?
by Sarah Connor
Summary: What if someone is really out to kill you, but you think its just a crazy joke? (NEW CHAPTERS UP)
1. Come with me if you want to live

My name is Sarah Conners. No, not 'Connor' like in the movie. Don't laugh. I was born in 1984 - about the same time the Terminator movie came out – so my parents thought it would be amusing to name me Sarah, even though our last name wasn't exactly the same. I didn't find it at all amusing. In fact, I had more than my share of teasing and jokes as I grew up. The first time was in second grade. Some kid kept calling out my name, and when I responded with "yes?" he pretended to shoot me, then double over laughing like a lunatic.

I didn't know what was so funny at the time until I finally watched the damn movie. It gave me nightmares for a month – I was only seven years old then. I hated the movie after that. Which was understandable.

That's why when the guy barged in on the pizza store where I was having lunch with my date (and no, my date's name is not John, or Kyle, or Arnie, but was actually Todd), I was understandably pissed.

"Come with me if you want to live." The Kyle Reese look-alike held out his hand to me.

Todd, sitting opposite me, looked on in confusion. I was even more confused.

"COME ON!!!" Reese look-alike roared. He hauled me up to my feet.

I yanked my arm out of his grip. "Hey, just a minute here! Who do you think you are?" I demanded angrily.

"I'm Reese. Sergeant/TechCom DN38416. I'm here to protect you. You've been targeted for Termination. Now move!" And with that, he grabbed my arm in a vice-like hold and dragged me out of the door with him.

"Hey! Let _go_ of me!" I struggled against him. But he kept on going, pulling me after him through the mall. I tried kicking him, but he easily side-stepped. "What's the big idea? Is this some kind of joke? Who put you up to this?"

"Shut up!" He spun around to face me, hand gripping my arm painfully. "Listen and understand! That Terminator is out there. It can't be reasoned with. It can't be bargained with. It doesn't feel remorse or pity or fear." He leaned in very close to my face. "And it absolutely will not stop. Ever. Until you are _dead_!"

"Haha, very funny. Now will you please let me get back to my date?" We were starting to attract quite a large crowd. "Don't you know how long I had to wait for Todd to ask me out? It's our _first_ date for chrissakes."

But then something happened that shut me up. At least for awhile anyway.


	2. Arnie

There was a commotion somewhere toward the back of the crowd. People were swearing or yelling indignantly as they were being roughly shoved aside. Reese-look-alike's head snapped in that direction. I turned to look also.

Arnold Schwarzenegger was moving with determined precision through the milling crowd. Straight toward us. Wearing black shades, a leather jacket, and tight biker jeans.

"Oh man, you have got to be kidding me..."

"Run!" Reese-look-alike shouted. He jerked me forward into a run. I kept glancing back. Arnie was having trouble pushing his way through the crowd, as people were rushing up to get their autographs signed.

"Look, Reese, or whoever you really are," I panted, trying to keep up with him. If I didn't, he'd just end up dragging me along anyway. I didn't want that - not very dignified. "I don't know who put you up to this elaborate scheme. I mean, April Fool's is still ages away, but I get the picture, okay? Very nice touch with the whole Arnie-Terminator costume."

He just stared hard at me, then pushed me onto the ascending escalator.

"Ok, so your Reese's grey overcoat costume's pretty realistic too. But can we just cut it out now? I've got to-"

There was a deafening explosion. Behind us, people screamed and started running like wild elephants. "What the..." I turned, frowning.

Arnie had had enough. In his muscular arms was a gigantic UZI submachine gun. And it was pointed straight at me.

"No fricken way..." I began.


	3. Joke or dream?

"Get down!!" Reese-look-alike pulled me down beside him just as another burst from the UZI raked the escalator all around us.

I screamed. We reached the top and Reese-look-alike shoved me forward. I stumbled, but didn't fall. Behind me, I turned and watched with incredulous eyes as the Reese-look-alike reached into his overcoat and pulled out a Remington 870 shotgun. Just like in the movie. He slammed a round into the chamber and fired.

More screams. The mall was in total uproar. I was jostled aside as shoppers hurtled for the exits. Good idea. I decided it was time I made a break for it as well. This whole thing was getting way too realistic for me.

I joined the stampede for the nearest exit. Suddenly, someone pitched over beside me. I glanced down - there was a huge, smoking red hole in the center of the person's back.

"Yikes!" I didn't wait to see more. I began shoving and elbowing my way through the panic-stricken crowd. I'm dreaming. I have to be. That's it, this is all some sort of crazy nightmare and I'm gonna wake up at any moment now... Any moment now!

But I didn't wake up. Reese-look-alike caught up to me, grabbing my arm. "This way!" He dragged me off in the other direction, away from the wild, stampeding crowd.

"This can't be happening. My name's Sarah '_Conners'_, not 'Connor!'" I gasped. "What the hell is going on?!"


	4. Not my day

Reese-lookalike hauled me towards the stairwell. We burst through the doors at a flat run. Without hesitation, he took the stairs leading up to the carpark two at a time. I dug in my heels at the next landing and refused to move until he explained things.

"Listen, buster, I don't know what kind of crazy game you're playing, but it's gone far enough!" I yelled. "That wasn't Arnie, I get it. Some dude who looks like him. But-"

The stairwell door suddenly crashed open below and the Arnie/Terminator appeared in the doorway. Reese-lookalike grabbed me, yanking me towards him just as 9mm bullets riddled the concrete wall where my head had been only moments before. Muffled against his hard chest, my scream echoed through the stairwell.

"RUN!" Reese-lookalike yelled to me, shoving me forward up the stairs. Then, whirling, he fired back with his Remington. The explosions were deafening in the narrow confines of the stairwell. Reflexively, I flinched and covered my ears.

There was no return fire.

Call me curious, call me stupid, but I had to look. Peeking past the railing, I saw the Arnie/Terminator sprawled flat on the landing, his body shredded with crimson holes. He was very much dead. I gaped down in shocked disbelief. Blinking, I then stared at the Reese-lookalike. He speared me with a fierce glare and shouted, "Run!"

But before I could move, something else caught my attention. Could things get any worse? You bet. The Arnie/Terminator was smoothly getting back to his feet.

"Oh man," I breathed. This just wasn't my day.


	5. Cyberdyne Systems Model 101

"Alright already!" I panted as I pelted up the stairs beside Reese-lookalike. "I'm officially scared. One hundred percent, piss-in-my-pants scared shitless. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Below, charging up the stairwell after us, Arnie/Terminator continued to squeeze the UZI. Bullets raked the stairs, ricocheting off the railing. My heart lurched in terror. Reese slammed his Remington over the side and returned fire.

I kept running. "You can drop the act now," I puffed. I still couldn't bring myself to accept what was happening. The alternative was just too unreal. "I said I was terrified. Isn't this the part where you and your side-kick take off your bullet-proof vests and start laughing and admitting to the practical joke?" I stumbled and he brutally pulled me up, hauling me after him without slowing.

"Not a side-kick!" Reese cut in. "A machine. A Terminator. Cyberdyne Systems Model 101." He was reloading on the run, the shells clattering down the stairs.

"Terminator – yeah – right," I panted, already out of breath. Reese however didn't look the least bit tired. Dammit, I'd better start laying off the fries and ice cream.

"The Terminator's an infiltration unit. Part man, part machine," he explained. "Underneath, it's a hyperalloy combat chassis. Microprocessor-controlled, fully armored, very tough. But outside, its living human tissue. Flesh-"

"-skin, hair, blood. Grown for the cyborgs." I finished for him. "I know – I've seen the movie too."

"Pay attention!" He snapped. "The 600 series had rubber skin. We spotted them easy. But these are new. They look human. Sweat, bad breath, everything..."

We finally burst out the door onto the rooftop parking lot. The glare from the sun blinded me for an instant after the dim interior of the stairwell. Blinking rapidly, I stared at the chaotic scene around me. People were jumping into their cars, blaring horns in their haste to drive out of there.

"Freeze!" yelled a voice.


	6. Wake Up!

A security guard ran up to us, pistol aimed in both hands. "Hands up!"

I raised my hands. Slowly, Reese did the same, one hand still gripping the barrel of his Remington.

"Ok, easy now, fella. Drop the weapon." The guard demanded, inching warily up to us.

But that was as far as he got. Because Reese all of a sudden lunged sideways into me. I hit the ground, hard, breath knocked out of my lungs. A split second later, there was a spattering of machine-gunfire and the guard's body jerked as if on puppet strings while bullets pummelled into him.

He collapsed to the asphalt, his body a shredded field of red holes.

Reese rolled off me. Pulling me up with one hand, he dragged me behind a grey LTD before the Terminator, who had appeared at the top of the stairwell, could set its sight on us.

"Oh my god, oh my god," I stuttered, crouched down, my back against the car. I pinched myself hard. Nothing. "Come on! Wake up, dammit!" I gritted my teeth. The gunned-down security guard was the last straw. Even my friend Larry who was notorious for his practical jokes wouldn't take a joke this far.

Reese didn't waste any time. "Get in!" He shoved me into the grey LTD. I got in. I mean, a choice between a trigger-happy psycho from the future - sorry '_cyborg'_ - or a gunman who thinks he's Kyle Reese? I'd choose the latter anyday.

He climbed over me to the driver's side and slammed the door shut. Twisting the ignition wires together, he sparked the sedan's engine to life just as more security guards ran up to the Terminator, surrounding him with pistols.

"Drop it, buster!"

"Hands up!"

I ducked below the dash. Seconds later, rattling automatic fire and screams filled the parking lot. Reese slammed the car into reverse. I looked back out the front windshield - the Terminator was standing amidst a litter of fallen dead bodies, his cold compassionless face methodically scanning the parking lot. Then zeroing in on me, he broke into a run straight for us.


	7. 911

"Hurry!" I shrieked to Reese.

But there was too much traffic and people in the way.

The Terminator was gaining with inhuman speed. He took one flying leap and landed on top of our LTD. I knew what was going to happen before it did happen. Even so, I didn't have time to do anything about it. Time seemed to slow as just like in the movie the cyborg drew back its fist and punched through the windshield. I screamed as glass exploded all over me. Lacerated fingers reached for me through the windshield. I flung myself as far back into the seat as I could. The hand seized the front of my shirt and pulled me forward.

"Ahhhhh!" I yelled, beating at the fist. But it was no use - it held onto me in an unrelenting rock-hard grip.

Reese cranked the wheel hard to the right. The LTD slewed sideways, all four tires screeching, then plowed side-on into a row of parked cars. The Terminator was thrown rolling onto the asphalt. We hurtled down the ramp between other cars, sparks flying as the sedan scraped against the sides of the ramp. My voice was hoarse from screaming - I don't think I've ever screamed more in my entire life.

But the nightmare refused to end.

Above all the noise was the gunning of a motorbike. Glancing back, my eyes widened as I saw the Terminator tucked over the handlebars of a 750, roaring down the ramp after us. I should've guessed. Against the blasting wind, he unslung an assault rifle and raised it in a one-handed grip.

"Get down!" Reese shouted, but I was already ducking. The back window of the sedan shattered under the ripping impact of bullets. Reese swerved, strafing behind a family van. The kids inside were ogling at the sight of their Hollywood hero firing at us from a motorbike. "Look, mom, it's Arnie! Yay, Terminator 4!"

Hurriedly, I dug into my bag. One thing Sarah Connor never had back in 1984 – the benefits of modern technology. I took out my cell phone and punched in 911.

"Hello—"

But Reese ripped the phone out of my hand and threw it out the window.

"Hey!" I whirled on him, furious.

"Can't afford to have it traced," he stated tersely, flicking a glance in the rear view mirror.

The Terminator was gaining.


	8. Car chase

I turned my head to look back. The Terminator was right behind us.

"Hold on." Reese drove on resolutely, eyes grim, jaw tight. More bullets pummeled into the back of the sedan. I ducked again, gasping.

We approached a busy intersection with cars whizzing past in both directions. The lights had just turned red - but instead of slowing - Reese floored the accelerator. I held on for dear life as we shot through the intersection, barely missing being hit by an oncoming bus. I stared at him in disbelief. Was he crazy? He was going to get us both killed!

Reese spun the wheel, turning sharply and roared up another street. Behind us, the Terminator shot through an open pocket of traffic and fired a burst at the car. Bullets raked the rear fender. Reese feinted right, then left. In the distance, the wail of sirens grew louder as the police joined in the chase.

I looked out the side window to see a bus-load of tourists pass us in the other lane. They were all craning out the windows, excitedly pointing and snapping pictures of the Terminator with their digital cameras.

Swearing hotly, Reese slowed the car down to fifty miles an hour. Ahead was some sort of traffic jam. In the next lane, an annoying kid was licking his ice-cream and pulling faces at me. When he saw Reese bring out the shotgun and fire back at the fast approaching Terminator, the kid's jaw dropped open. The ice-cream cone fell from his hand.

Without hesitation, Reese suddenly vaulted the car over the kerb and we hurtled down the sidewalk. "Get out of the way!" I yelled to everyone. People and pets alike scattered before the charging sedan – we smashed into someone's scooter, knocked over a billboard, plowed through a cart of bananas and mangoes. Squashed fruit splattered all over the windshield.

Shooting past the road block, Reese wrenched the car onto a turn-off. We shot out onto the freeway, doing ninety. The car behind screeched to a halt and another smashed into it with a loud sickening crunch.

I looked back - the Terminator was still hot on our heels. Pulling up alongside me, he lifted his assault rifle. My eyes widened in horror.

"Keep your head down!" Reese roughly pushed the back of my head into my lap. My passenger window exploded inwards. With his other hand, Reese cranked the wheel, viciously slamming into the motorbike. The bike skidded sideways, throwing up a shower of sparks. When I looked back, I saw the fallen motorbike skidding across the road.

But no Terminator.

Where did he go? I tried not to freak, but wasn't very successful. What happened to the body!

Suddenly, the door beside me was yanked open. The Terminator - _clinging to the side of the car _- reached in and seized my neck in a crushing hold. I couldn't breathe much less scream. Reese grabbed his Remington and fired.

Missed.

I squeezed my eyes shut. The twelve-gauge went off inches from my ear. For a moment, I couldn't hear anything, and almost blacked out from lack of air and pain. The shotgun exploded again. The Terminator flew back from the impact and smacked the road in a sliding tumble. Reese gripped my shirt and dragged me back in just before I was yanked out with the Terminator onto the road.


	9. Unborn son

We continued to speed off down the freeway.

I rubbed my sore, bruised neck, dragging blessed air into my lungs. Jesus, this wasn't funny anymore. Had I somehow stumbled into an alternate dimension without knowing it? These things just don't happen in real life. I glanced across at the grim-faced man beside me and an idea hit me – Last Action Hero. Maybe these guys had somehow stepped out of their movie and into ours… Yeah right, and I was really James Bond in disguise. I shook my head, groaning.

Reese flicked me a quick glance. "Are you injured? Are you shot?" I was too busy wallowing in self pity, muttering "why me?", to hear him. He reached over and ran a hand over my arms, legs and torso to search for wounds.

"Hey!" I shoved his hand away, scooting sideways in my seat to get as far from him as possible. "Touch me again and I'll sue your harassing ass off, buster." I glared at him angrily. He was the one who'd gotten me into this mess to begin with. And I wasn't about to try what Sarah Connor did in the movie – open the door and allow him the satisfaction of giving me that 'Do exactly what I say' speech.

"Has it ever occurred to you that you might have the wrong person?" I asked.

"No." His reply was immediate. Taking the next turn-off, he drove through some side streets before cruising to a stop in the middle of a narrow alleyway. Cutting the engine, he turned to me. "There was a war. A few years from now; nuclear. All this…" he gestured. "All this is gone. Everything….just, gone."

_Oh no. He's going to give me that whole future war spiel. _I decided to cut to the chase. "Alright, let's see it. Let's see that barcode tattoo thing of yours."

He pushed back his sleeve to reveal the 10 digit number etched into his skin above a pattern of lines like a barcode. "Burned in by laser scan," he said.

So, he had that detail covered too, did he?Laughing a little, I said, "Next thing you'll be telling me I have a son named John."

He seemed surprised that I knew. "You do, Sarah. An unborn son. He taught us to fight. To storm the wire of the camps." His voice was filled with raw emotion as he stared intently into my eyes. I swallowed. Was this guy for real? He seemed to believe every word of it. As I stared up at him, it suddenly dawned on me how John Connor came about – that night Sarah and Reese slept together in the motel…

Uh oh. I mean, don't get me wrong. This delusional dude was kinda goodlooking, in a scary, dangerous kind of way, but me and him…? No way.

In a flash, I went for the door handle. Lucky for me, four guys had just entered the alley. "Hey, help me! Over here! Help!" I yelled out the window while Reese tried to restrain me. As they approached, I realized these guys might not exactly be the helpful type. The leader flipped out a knife.

"Give us ya wallets!" he held out a tattooed hand, pointing the knife threateningly at Reese.

Reese turned his head and fixed the guy with a hard, expressionless stare. He lifted the Remington until the long, black barrel pointed directly at the guy. The guy's eyes widened and he backed off, hands raised. "Hey, hey, ok! I get it!" He and his gang took off down the alley.

"Don't do that again." Reese told me coldly.

I slumped in my seat, watching the four guys disappear around the corner.

Suddenly, a police cruiser turned the corner – seeing the grey LTD, it bore straight down the alley toward us. I stared at the driver, my heart lurching in renewed fear as I recognized that face. Guess who? Yep, you got it. "Man, doesn't this guy ever give up?"


	10. Big old lady

Reese threw the car into reverse. Backwards, we charged down the narrow alley with the Terminator relentlessly closing in on us. Twenty yards. Ten yards. Sparks flew as the sedan scraped the alley walls, smashing into dumpsters and trash cans. I gripped the dash with white knuckled hands, expecting a collision at any moment. Then our car shot out of the alley and into fast-moving traffic.

Cars swerved to avoid us. Sirens wailed all around as the police screeched around the corner in hot pursuit - I counted about eight squad cars. Hell, this was becoming one big high-speed police chase.

We streaked through another intersection at a hundred plus. Behind, the Terminator was gaining speed, in the lead of the other black-and-whites. I dropped my head in my hands – no matter what you did, why did the bad guys always seem to catch up to you? It just wasn't fair.

Reese spun the car onto a tunnel road and I was flung violently against the door. There was a loud crash behind me. I glanced back to see a police cruiser slam into a pick-up.

Just then, the Terminator's squad car came up alongside ours and rammed us into the tunnel wall. We scraped along the cement, tossing up a wave of hot metal sparks. Reese fought the wheel for control of the car as we swerved crazily under the Terminator's ruthless fire.

"Drive!" Reese shouted at me.

"What?!" I shrieked. But he had taken both hands off the wheel and was pulling himself out the window. Dammit, this was happening just like in the movie now. Hell, I was hoping I wouldn't have to drive. Some people just weren't made to sit behind a wheel – and I was one of them.

A deafening horn suddenly blared – our car was drifting into the path of an enormous truck! In complete panic, I seized the wheel and spun it to the side. The eighteen-wheeler thundered past – so close that it smashed off the side view mirror. I let out a ragged breath. Christ, that was close.

The tunnel opened out onto a freeway bridge. We hurtled up the ramp while Reese and the Terminator continued to fire at each other. A slug shot past my ear and shattered the other side view mirror. Flinching, I completely floored the pedal.

Up ahead, a big old lady was crossing the road, pushing a long pram. I did a double take – what was and old lady doing in the middle of a busy freeway? And since when did they come in such a big size?

In spite of all the cars, the big old lady stopped in the middle of the road and – unbelievably – threw back her disguise to reveal the Terminator In one smooth move, _he brought out a massive RPG-7_ from the pram and raised it to his shoulder.

Holy shit! I slammed on the brakes. Wait a sec, if that was the Terminator, then who was behind in the –

Heart pounding, I glanced in the rear view mirror. To my utter disbelief, the Arnie Terminator in the squad car _morphed_ into the face of the T-1000_ from the second movie. _Huh? I blinked rapidly. It can't be –

But I had no time to think on it further because up ahead, the other Terminator fired the RPG. It launched out, trailing smoke, _heading right for us_.

"REESE!!" I cranked the wheel hard to the right. A section of the road and the car behind blew up in a spectacular ball of fire. I lost control of the spinning sedan – it mounted the divider and flipped.

I screamed.

Flashes.

The world upended violently.

Then – blackness.


	11. Hospital

I awoke to the smell of lemon disinfectant and the scratchy feel of hospital sheets. Please let it be all a dream…Please let me wake up in bed just before the alarm goes off… I opened my eyes to find a benign-looking female doctor with crooked glasses smiling down at me.

"Hi Sarah. My name's Dr Brown. You'll be happy to know you've sustained only minor injuries from the accident. Mostly cuts and bruises, a minor concussion. Nothing serious."

Nothing serious, huh? Then why did I feel like I'd just been hit by a tanker? Every part of me was hurting. I groaned. Damn, it wasn't a dream after all...

"But just to be on the safe side," she continued, "I'd like you to stay in the hospital for another day or so."

I nodded weakly. Even nodding was painful.

There was a knock at the door and we looked up. Well, if it isn't Lt. Traxler and Sgt. Vukovich, I thought. Of course, it wasn't them - all that stress earlier was making me think funny.

"We'd like to ask Ms. Conners a few questions, if that's okay with you, Doc," the older one said, flashing his badge. He looked like a grizzled version of Harrison Ford. Nodding, the doctor stood aside, letting the two officers approach my bed.

"Hi Sarah. How're you feeling?" the older one asked.

"Never better," I croaked, my voice coming out all hoarse and dry. Couldn't they tell how I felt just by looking at all the bandages on me?

They didn't smile. "I'm Detective Argyle, this is Detective Sanchez. We need to ask you a few questions. The vehicle you and your accomplice were driving was reported stolen-"

"He's not my accomplice," I cut in quickly. "Listen, I was practically kidnapped. This guy shows up from nowhere, says he's Kyle Reese, and drags me off! And there're these two other crazy psychos out there – look just like Arnie and Robert Patrick, I swear." In a rush, I told them everything that happened.

"We've just finished questioning the first man you mentioned. Don't worry, we have him restrained up on the psychiatric ward. Apparently, he claims to be from the future. Sent here to protect you from the 'Terminator'?" At this, Argyle's mouth twitched into a smile. His partner, a young man only a few years older than me, had less self-control. He burst out laughing.

"Man, you should've heard this guy. He sure memorized his lines well. Listen to this," Sanchez took out a small microcassette recorder and pressed play.

"_Ok, so you say you're Kyle Reese. Who do you fight for?" _There was a slight chuckle after that – I realized they were deciding to humor him.

"_With the One Thirty-second under Perry. From '21 to '27." _I recognized Reese's voice; he sounded angry. _"Then I was assigned Recon/Security, last two years under John." _

"_Right... You're good, I'll give you that, kid. Let's see if you get this one - Who'd you say was trying to kill Sarah Connor? Wait, make that Sarah 'Conners'." _

"_A computer defense system built by SAC-NORAD by Cyberdyne Systems!" _

"_Right… Hang on, don't tell me - I know what comes next - the computer couldn't just kill John then, right? So they sent in the Termintor." _More chuckling in the background.

"_That's right. It had no choice - their defense grid was smashed. We'd won. Taking John out then would make no difference. It had to wipe out his entire existence." _

Sanchez stopped the tape. "And so he goes on, word for word straight from the movie, even up to this part." He fast-forwarded the recorder then pressed play, accidentally increasing the volume.

Reese was shouting now. _"You still don't get it, do you? He'll find her! That's what he does! All he does! You can't stop him! HE'LL WADE THROUGH YOU, REACH DOWN HER THROAT AND PULL HER FUCKING HEART OUT!" _

Reese's fierce words echoed off the pristine white hospital walls. Sanchez hastily stopped the tape. "Opps, sorry," he apologized. A nurse who had just come into the room shook her head at him disapprovingly.

I swallowed. "Gee, officers, thanks for making me feel a whole lot better."

Argyle shot his partner a withering glare. The other man went a little red. "Listen, Sarah, we've managed to contact your parents. They'll be here soon. I suggest you try to get some rest until then. And don't worry about this guy; he's obviously watched too many Terminator movies for his own good."

"But how do you explain how he looks exactly like Kyle Reese?" I asked.

"My bet's on plastic surgery," he replied. "Trust me, there are some weird, messed up guys out there." The two detectives turned to leave.

"Wait!" I called out. "What about those other two that are after me?"

"Don't worry, they won't be a problem. We've got our guys out looking for them right now." And with that, the two men left the room.


	12. SURPRISE!

I lay there for awhile, gazing up at the white ceiling. Somehow in just one day, my whole life had turned upside-down. I couldn't believe it – now there were two Terminators after me. Maybe I had seen wrong – maybe I had just imagined the other guy in the squad car…I had been under heaps of pressure… But then something on the overhead TV caught my attention.

"— _a two man shoot out erupted in Marion Mall today, leaving twelve dead and twenty-five wounded. Witnesses claim the gunmen bear an uncanny resemblance to the two lead actors in the 1984 blockbuster 'The Terminator', starring Michael Biehn and the Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger." _The newsflash showed footage of the upturned mall, people being wheeled out on ambulance gurneys, and pictures of Michael Biehn and Arnold alongside snaps of their hazy counterparts. _"Police are refusing to speculate on the apparent similarity between the- "_

"SURPRISE!"

I glanced up. Jane, my best friend, and Todd appeared at the door to my room, carrying a huge bunch of flowers. My face broke into a grin at the sight of their familiar faces. "Jane! Todd!"

"Sarah!" Jane rushed to my bedside. "Todd told me what happened. God, are you okay?" She leaned over and gave me a big hug.

I nodded, smiling. "Much better now that you guys are here. Thanks for coming." I was thrilled that Todd had also come to see me in hospital. After the whole fiasco with our date at the mall, I didn't think he wanted to talk to me again.

"We came as soon as we heard," Todd said. "When that guy showed up and dragged you off, I had no idea all this was going to happen." A little awkwardly, he took my hand and gave it a warm squeeze. "I'm glad you're alright."

_He held my hand! _Grinning from ear to ear like the Cheshire cat, I thought – being dragged around the mall, shot at, yelled at, chased after by Terminator psychos, and almost killed in a car accident was almost worth it. Almost.

Jane gazed at me with wide blue eyes. "They sealed off the entire mall. Won't let anybody in or out of there. Sarah, is it true? Some guy who looks just like Reese and Arn-"

At that instant, all the lights went out.

"What the- "

We heard a distant crash. Then the sound of machine gunfire confirmed my worst fears.

"Uh-oh."

Jane shot me a worried frown. "What do you mean, 'uh-oh'?"

Beyond the dark hospital room came frantic shouting, running feet, the blast from a shotgun.

"Hey, you there! You can't- " Outside, the nurse's yell ended in an earsplitting scream.

Jane, Todd and I exchanged frightened looks. It was him. The Terminator.

"Quick! We have to hide!" I shouted.

"Is this a joke? Hide? Where?" Jane's wide blue eyes swept the empty hospital room. There wasn't anywhere to hide.

My eyes fell on the adjoining toilet cubicle. "Quick, into the toilet!"

"The _toilet_?" Todd made a face.

"You have a better idea?" Ripping off the IV tubes and throwing back the sheets, I leapt off the bed.

Crowding into the tiny, dark toilet cubicle, we slammed the door. The room smelled strongly of disinfectant, vomit, and other, shall we say, less than pleasant things.

Todd gave me a look.

I held up my hands in a defensive gesture and shook my head. "Hey, wasn't me."

So, breathing through our noses, we listened to the chaos outside.

Rattling automatic fire.

Screaming.

Running feet.

Crashing, splintering sounds.

The shots were getting louder. Closer.

Then, beneath all this, we heard something else - the sound of heavy footsteps striding into the room beyond our toilet. My heart clenched in sudden fear. It was _the Terminator_, it had to be. I held my breath. _Please, please don't find us._ We were like sitting ducks in here.

Todd swept his eyes around the tiny cubicle and grabbed the only thing he could see – the toilet plunger. Silently, he held it out above his head, ready to bring it down on the first thing to walk through that cubicle door…


	13. Aim and Fire

"Sarah!"

It was Reese outside.

For a second, Jane, Todd and I looked at each other in the darkness. Then we were shouting, "In here!"

With a rush of relief, the three of us piled out of the toilet and knocked down Reese in our haste to get out of there.

We got back up to our feet. Jane and Todd were staring up at Reese in awe while he gave them a look which said who-the-hell-are-these-guys?

But there wasn't any time for introductions. Grabbing my hand, Reese pulled me out into the corridor. Jane and Todd hurried after us, but at that moment the Terminator rounded the corner, eyes glowing faintly red behind the dark sunglasses.

Jane let out a scream and fainted dead away. I stared down at her – I understood her reaction, but frankly, her timing sucked.

"Hold it right there!" The two detectives, Argyle and Sanchez, stepped out into the corridor and aimed their pistols at the Terminator. When it made no move to stop, they opened fire. The bullets pelted into the Terminator's leather jacket torso but he kept coming. Hurriedly, we tried to revive Jane, shaking her, tickling her, doing everything to wake her up while the cops distracted the Terminator. But some distraction they proved to be - the cyborg simply lifted his AR-180 and fired. Their heads exploded like cans of red paint.

Oh damn. I gulped and shook Jane even harder. "C'mon, Jane, wake up! On your feet soldier!" That second phrase was worth a try – hey, it worked for Sarah Connor and Reese in the movie. Screaming, people dove out of the way as the Terminator advanced. Bullets raked the air all around us. While Jane was coming to, Reese mercilessly hauled her up to her feet and we raced down the corridor in the other direction. But clearing a corner, I skidded to an abrupt halt. The others cannoned straight into me from behind.

The _T-1000_, in its cop uniform, was striding calmly toward us from the other end of the corridor. It lifted a Browning Hi-Power to fire.

"Wait a minute, there's _two_ of them!" Todd exclaimed in disbelief.

"This way! Go, go, _go_!" Reese shoved us ahead of him to the open elevator at the other end of the corridor while he covered the rear. Behind, the two Terminators pounded down the corridor after us. A nurse, also running for the elevator, caught a slug in the back and went down with a gurgling scream. We ran passed her twitching body and dove into the lift just as the doors were closing.

"Quick, shut the doors again!" I yelled.

In his haste, Todd pressed the 'Open Door' button instead. The elevator doors jerked back open. "No!"

Reese jabbed the 'Close Door' button. Huddling in the corner, panting, I looked up to see the T-1000 throw down his Browning and make a sprint for the elevator.

Before the doors could fully shut – a sword-like blade rammed between the doors – _prying_ them open. Jane screamed out in terror. Reese looked just as stunned by these new turn in events as we were. He obviously hadn't seen these later Terminator models, but he reacted quickly to the situation with a soldier's trained response.

Reese fired his Remington. It caught the T-1000 in his shoulder, but he didn't let go of the doors. Slamming back another round, Reese fired again. And again. The T-1000 staggered back from the impact. The shotgun kept exploding while the doors began to close, one blast after another, brutally, savagely, unrelentingly. The T-1000's body was riddled with gaping holes which even as we watched were beginning to close up. Jane stood frozen to the spot, mouth agape and stuttering in total disbelief.

Finally, the elevator doors shut.

I let out a ragged breath of relief and sagged against the wall. Man, this wasn't happening. Tell me I didn't just see that…! Todd was already down on the floor, holding his wounded leg and groaning in pain. There was a big red hole in his calf.

"Oh my god! Todd, you've been shot!" Horrified, Jane clapped a hand over her mouth.

Reese knelt beside Todd to examine the wound. "It's clean, passed right through the meat. You'll live." He stood up again just as something heavy thumped against the elevator roof.

We looked up. Don't tell me…

A blade punched through the ceiling and speared down just inches from my face. I let out a scream and fell back against the wall. Without hesitation, Reese opened fire right through the roof. Lightning fast, the blade withdrew and thrust down again and again, slashing Reese's jacket. The rest of us hit the elevator floor - staring up in absolute horror at the slashing blade as Reese dodged the deadly thrusts and kept firing upwards.

The doors pinged open to the underground parking lot. With me and Jane supporting Todd on either side, we staggered over to the nearest vehicle - a battered brown Datsun. Reese smashed the window and wrenched open the door. We all quickly scrambled inside. As he hotwired the engine, I looked out the window to see the T-1000 bash a hole in the ceiling big enough – _to_ _pour himself through_. My jaw fell open. The silver mass _dropped_ through the hole, only to reform perfectly back into the cop.

I gulped. "No way…"

Tires screeching, our Datsun shot forward. The T-1000 broke into a sprint. And man, could this guy run. Face a mask of inhuman determination, he landed on the trunk with a flying leap, slamming his metal crowbar hand on the trunk lid. Then, bit by bit, he dragged himself up along the back of the car. Reese swerved. The car fishtailed wildly, but the T-1000 held on. He smashed a crowbar hand through the back windshield and showered glass all over Todd and Jane in the backseat.

"Ahhhh!" Jane grabbed her bag and starting whacking it at the T-1000's head. It had no affect on him whatsoever. With a backhanded sweep of his crowbar hand, he flung her against the side of the car.

Reese was too busy trying to dodge the late night traffic. Without taking his eyes off the road, he shoved the Remington into my hands. "Here! Shoot him!" he roared.

I stared at the huge firearm. After that car accident I guess he didn't trust me to drive anymore - I didn't blame him either.

"Just aim and pull the trigger!" he yelled.

Gulping, I took the shotgun and lifted it. It was a lot heavier than it looked. Right, aim and fire. How hard can it be? I squeezed the trigger… The recoil slammed my back against the dashboard and the shot went way off. In fact, it almost took off Todd's head.

Ducking, Todd turned to me. "Him! Not me - shoot him!" He pointed at the T-1000's menacing face.

I winced. "Sorry!" I lifted the gun again. This time, I got it right. The head blew apart in gobbets of liquid metal and the T-1000 tumbled off the car, then rolled to its feet, and continued running. But it was dropping behind now.

My ears were still ringing from the blast and from Jane's shrill screams.

"You can stop screaming now!" Todd told her.

She abruptly stopped.

"Oh God. He – he – that – that was…" she started hyperventilating.

Todd was more direct. "What the _fuck_!"

Yep, that pretty much summed up my feelings too.

A/N: Thanks everyone for your amazing reviews! I never thought I'd get this far into the story – all your support and encouragement have been fantastic. I like writing something different – you know, a story that's just pure fun to read. I'm glad you've all enjoyed it so far. Thanks again and keep reading:-)


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